I ended up listening to this book. It is very long, but beautifully written. Part fiction,, part fairytale I enjoyed this story about family and finding oneself. Be prepared to suspend disbelief.

This was a bit of a slow start for me, and it took a long time to win me over. However no one writes like Jandy Nelson does and regardless of the start, this was wonderful. Extremely character driven and really immerses you. Thank you for the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 ⭐️

When the World Tips Over is an epic story of a group of siblings. It follows their lives, their loves, their losses, as they grow and grieve and become. Full of complexity, and a touch of magic, it’s a lovely tale that, while lengthy, seems over too soon.

Thank you Jandy Nelson, Dial Books, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Solid 4.5

A bit of a slow start, but the rest of the story was so grand, it didn't matter. The siblings are a kick and the ending came way too soon, but was a great conclustion.

This was a story that was a slow start for me, but as I started getting hooked by Dizzy, Miles, and Wynton, I didn't want to put it down. Sandro was also awesome, and I loved that some people could talk to him, which made him more of an integral part of the story than an observer. The amount of magical realism was just enough to make it fun.

This was family drama and mystery, and the fallout that happens when a man abandons his family. While the explanation of his abandonment sort of made sense, I was with the kids and their reaction when they discovered the truth--a sense of betrayal being one of the main emotions.

I found each of the characters to be interesting for different reasons, and this included Cassidy. As I mentioned above, it started out slowly, and I got a bit muddled in the middle, but by the halfway point, I was completely hooked and probably read most of the second half in just over a day. I have not read Jandy's first two books, but after reading this, I look forward to reading both. I like her writing style, and while the pacing wasn't even throughout, I became more invested as the story continued and the ending made me smile. I also enjoyed having a mystery that we discovered along with the characters (the kids at least).

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“If people bear the trauma of their ancestors, doesn’t it follow they also bear their rhapsodies? If there is generational pain passed down, mustn’t there also be generational joy? If there are family curses that drop through time, mustn’t there also be family blessings that do the same?”

In the time of forever, Theo Fall disappeared, leaving his family cracked down the middle. His wife, Bernadette, chef of The Blue Spoonful, leaves out dinner for him every night. Twelve-year-old Dizzy Fall sees ghosts in the vineyard and just got dumped by her ex-best friend. Her older brother, Perfect Miles, talks to dogs and hasn’t been to school in weeks. Her oldest brother, Wynton, hung the moon and plays violin like he’s been possessed. They each have an encounter with a rainbow-haired girl (possibly an angel, Dizzy thinks), who is secretly the key to all of them. When tragedy strikes, the four of them will have to unwind the secrets that led to Theo’s disappearance to save each other and heal a generations old family curse. I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Penguin. Trigger warnings: fratricide, sexual assault/pedophilia, abusive households, car accident, severe injury, mental illness, depression, drug/alcohol abuse, neglect, bullying, infidelity.

I’ll Give You the Sun is one of my favorite books of all time, and I couldn’t wait to get my copy of When the World Tips Over. It has everything I love about Jandy Nelson’s writing: gorgeous, inventive prose; lovable, heartbreaking, fully-rounded characters; a sense of place like I’m actually living in their town for a while; just enough magic (mostly the kind we make ourselves) to fill me with wonder; and intricate, complex family dynamics that keep me guessing. Nelson’s writer voice is one of my absolute favorites, and even though the story and the characters are new, I can “hear” her in this book like I’m talking to a beloved friend.

As with many of my favorite characters, I’m confused about whether I want to know Cassidy or be her, with her rainbow hair and many tattoos of words and poems. She’s the spark that sets the Fall family in motion, but her complicated history keeps her out of Manic Pixie Dream Girl territory. Though they’re all a bit magical, Cassidy is as real and complicated as any of the Fall siblings. My heart broke for her so many times while she was growing up with her mother, who struggles with untreated mental illness. (I’m also completely in love with rosy maple moths now–the way my soul would leave my body if I ever saw one outside.) Felix was my second favorite character, a friendly giant with clashing clothes who appears when Miles most needs someone to ground him.

All of the Fall family are interesting and well-drawn, though, and the only place the novel lagged for me a bit was in the Time of Forever stories. I enjoy the way Cassidy tells the history of the Fall family, part fairy tale and part Gabriel García Márquez-style magical realism, but I did occasionally feel that they were a little too long/frequent and that it was pulling me away from the main story. There was a major Aha! moment when one of the plot elements finally clicked into place for me, and as always, Nelson is an expert at tugging all the threads of her many characters together into one coherent and beautiful tapestry. I love the Fall family like they’re people I know, and I can’t wait to revisit them on many rereads to come.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

Oh my gosh I really enjoyed this book!!

What a passionate story filled with love, loss, tenderness, and such a gem of a read!

Thank you to the publisher!!

4/5

This one started out really slow for me. It took me quite a few starts and stops to get to a part where I could continuously read. I believe the book could have been a little shorter. There was a lot of background information that had to be said so the pieces would come together in the end. Glad I stuck with the book. I believe there will be some students in the classroom that would like to read the Fall family history. The town had a pretty neat history behind it as well. I like the stories that began to come out during some of the road trips. The end though, wow! Thank you to Ms. Nelson, Dial Books, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this book. I will be buying a copy for our classroom library.

I have really enjoyed Jandy Nelson's writing and this was no exception. I agree with friends who said this was a little longer than it could have been in places, but I love the characters in her books and the way their relationships developed in this one. It was quirky and heartfelt.

Really intrigued story that pulls you in and grips you from start to finish. I really enjoyed this one. Will chack out more by the author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is available now.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author. I gave 4 stars to her book “I’ll Give You the Sun”.

I couldn’t get into this book. It started with a rainbow-haired angel and then there was a talking dog. I was confused and completely uninterested. 528 pages is a long time to read a book I’m not enjoying. It would have been a Do Not Finish if it weren’t for the ARC. Sadly cannot recommend.

I don’t think that YA books should have sexual content so I wasn’t thrilled about that. Also, it was extremely long.

Thank you to Penguin Group for this e-ARC of When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson in exchange for an honest review. This book is as moving as it claims to be, with a family saga that is poignant and lyrical. The magical realism was done well, but where I was having some issues was with the plot and the way the story flowed. I liked the characters, but there were many times were I felt like the pacing really took me out of the story and I just wasn't sure how I felt about entering the world almost midway through a scene, thus making me feel pretty disconnected from the story overall.

DNF @ 25%

The idea of this book intrigued me but I don’t think the writing style was for me. I don’t think it is a bad book by any means, but I was struggling to remain engaged and I didn’t have much motivation to continue. I also don’t read much magical realism so perhaps that genre is also not for me.

I think that if you are a fan of YA magical realism and/or have read Jandy Nelson’s writing before and have enjoyed it, then it is very possible you will love this book. Unfortunately, it wasn’t my cup of tea.

This book took me three tries and five months to get into. The first quarter to a third of the book was really hard to slog through, and there was so much going on throughout the entire 500+ page book, it felt like this needed to be multiple books. I was confused about the characters, the plotline, and the timeline, and I felt it was so weird to have the first person narrations of an adult, teens, and a kid. What audience is this intended for? Adults would be the only ones I know who would persevere until the end, but adults might not want to read a book as told by a 12 year old. Additionally, there are some mature themes and language so this wouldn’t be appropriate for a younger teen. My favorite part of the book was when I realized the kids’ names were jazz trumpeter greats (Dizzy, Miles, Wynton), but that is all. I felt zero emotional connection to anything in the story, and if I hadn’t been given the e-arc by NetGalley (thank you NetGalley), this definitely would have been a DNF for me.

Not to give Miss Jandy Nelson a 3.5 stars but, this just did not hit in the way I think I was expecting it to and maybe I should have tapered my expectations going in (despite the fact that 3.5 stars is definitely still a good rating). While I still adored Nelson's writing as much as I did when I had read I'll Give You the Sun, I feel like this one did not hit as much. The novel had the family saga aspects that I usually love and make no mistake, were still weaved into this plot very well and I loved learning about the Fall family history. The way the sort of Cain and Abel curse gets embedded into the family was interesting and how the curse ends was lovely. But I also think this is where my main critique also lies. The telling of the Fall family history resides in Cassidy's character and her telling of the events. While her backstory was interesting, it starts in the middle of the novel and feels as though it comes out of nowhere and has no real place until the end. Which also, [can we talk about the weird explained away incest plot between cousins-technically-not-cousins??? (hide spoiler)] I still think it's a worthwhile read because it did make me cry at points and does have emotional moments, but I could not get over the overall pacing to fully immerse myself.

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson is a multigenerational story exploring family bonds, secrets, and the search for belonging. Through themes of parental abandonment, hidden truths, and unconditional love, the narrative weaves together intense, heartbreaking, and heartwarming moments. Told partly through letters from the past, the story highlights how family can extend beyond blood ties, encompassing friendships and love. The complex, authentic characters bring this emotionally rich tale to life, showcasing the impact of abandonment and the joy of finding a true sense of home.

This was my first read from Jandy Nelson, and it has me wanting to read I’ll Give You the Sun. I loved Jandy Nelson’s vivid writing style, but the multiple storylines within this one didn’t always seem to connect and left me distracted. Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me right now. The reviews are generally favorable causing me to question my interpretation. Admittedly, I read this during the chaos that was Hurricane Helene, so I may revisit it at another time.

Recommended to readers who love:
📚Family dramas
📚Magical realism
📚quirky characters

Thanks to Penguin Young Reader’s Group for an advanced reader’s copy.

I was so happy to learn of a new Jandy Nelson novel. I loved I'll Give You The Sun as a pick for 8th graders and high schoolers who love realistic fiction. And this new world of characters does not disappoint! It is a complex, multi-generational story about family secrets and the universal quest to claim one's own unique identity. There are two main stories woven together – that of the complicated Fall family and that of Cassidy and her nomadic hippie mom, Marigold. I loved getting to know each of these characters, and so many more, that each brings out the core themes of hope and resilience no matter what life throws at you. Fans of realistic fiction with romance, drama, and a big of magic will love this YA story.

Nelson’s prose is lush and lyrical, bringing the vineyard setting alive with sensory detail. Readers can almost taste the grapes, feel the heat of the sun, and hear the crackle of distant wildfires. The author’s ability to balance magical realism with grounded emotional truths gives the novel a unique, dreamlike quality.

At its core, When the World Tips Over is about love in all its forms—romantic, familial, and self-love. Nelson’s exploration of these themes is both poignant and uplifting, making this novel a rich, emotional tapestry. It’s a story that lingers, sparking reflection on the bonds that hold us together even in the face of loss and change.